112 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



in front, and do not " ride a horse up to his bridle " — a 

 fatal failing in race-riding. Besides, when silk is donned, 

 they almost all lose their heads when it comes to a finish 

 with English jockeys. 



After a native boy has been taught to ride with a fair 

 seat and good hands, the next thing is to give him some 

 idea of pace, which is usually taught by employing the 

 "anna system." As there are 16 a. in a rupee, a 4-a. 

 gallop is made to stand for quarter; 8-a., for half; 12-a., 

 for three-quarter; and 16-a., for full speed. 



Each quarter of a mile being clearly marked by a post 

 or pillar on the course where horses are galloped, the 

 trainer, when instructing native boys, should tell them 

 before each gallop is given how many annas' speed he 

 wants, and then may accurately time each quarter of a 

 mile with his stop-watch, so that after the gallop he may 

 be able to correct the boy, and point out where the latter 

 went too fast or too slow, as the case may be. The eye 

 alone is not sufficient to detect slight variations of pace. 

 Besides, if the master holds the watch, the boy will more 

 readily believe that he is being told correctly. If the 

 lad be willing and intelligent under this system, and 

 be given instructions as to holding his hands, keeping 

 the proper position of his leg and foot, judging the right 

 length of stirrup, etc., he ought to learn to ride a training 

 gallop fairly in, say, three months. The trainer may teach 

 the lad the rates of speed by a conventional standard (see 

 p. 190), or by the exact division of time, as take, for 

 instance, that the length of the racecourse is 1 J mile, that 

 the horse in question can do this, with the boy up, at full 

 speed in 2 min. 45 sec, and that the order for the training 



